And josiah ii



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

OTTO P. AMEND, OF NEW YORK, AND JOSIAH H. MAOY, OF HARRISON, NE\V YORK.

PROCESS OF DESULFURING PETROLQUM DISTILLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,941, dated December 24, 1895.

Application filed April 27, 1895. $eria1 No. 547,409. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern: fore heating, as the presence of acid while Be it known that we, OTTO P. AMEND, residheating will impart a lasting color to the oil. ing at New York, county of New York, and The heat applied operates to separate the JOSIAH H. MAOY, residing atHarrison, county water from the oil, which in all cases is a hy- 5 5 5 of Westchester, State of New York, citizens drated oil or distillate, until perfect dehydraof the United States, have invented certain tion is effected. This is completed by the innew and useful Improvements in Processes troduction of terra alba, (oxide of alumina,) of Treating and Desulphurizing Petroleum calcium oxide or other suitable dehydrating Oils and Distillates, of which the following is agent into the oil or distillate and heating the 60 a specification. distillate and by thorough agitation. Upon It is well known that much difficulty has effecting complete dehydration of the oil or been experienced in removing sulphur and distillate, as described, all of .the sulphur organic sulphur compounds from petroleum and organic sulphur compounds therein are oils and distillates. acted upon by the alkali or alkaline earth 65 I 5 We have found that while water or even used for the purpose and form new sulphur minute quantities of moisture remain in pecompounds and precipitate. The oil or distroleum oil or distillate it has not been postillate is then drawn away from the sulphur sible to eliminate all of the sulphur or orprecipitate and upon test is found to be free ganic sulphur compounds therefrom; but we from sulphur. The distillate may then be 70 have also found that upon agitating the oil or treated with acid for further refinement o1 distillate and exposing the sulphur and orit may be treated with acid before desulphuriganic sulphur compounds therein to the aczation. The former plan is the most satistion of one or more of the oxides or hydrates factory and produces the whitest finished oil. of the alkalies or alkaline earths, or to the The quantity of alkali or the oxide or hy- 75 action of both oxide and hydrate and heating drate of calcium required to insure the rethe oil or distillate with the alkali and effectmoval of all the sulphur and sulphur coming a perfect dehydration of the oil or distilpounds is from one to one and a half per cent. late, new sulphur compounds are formed, of the weight of the oil to be purified; but it which are insoluble in a dehydrated oil and must not be forgotten that if only enough 80 are precipitated when dehydrationis efiected alkali is employed to efiect dehydration an and are removable. By this means all suladditional supply of dry alkali must be inphur and organic sulphur compounds in petroduced into the oil to act upon the sulphur troleum can be eliminated. or sulphur compounds, as that already used In carrying out the invention all visible will be saturated with moisture and the sul- 85. 3 5 water is removed from the oil or distillate and phur compounds are soluble in Water.

the sulphur or organic sulphur compounds The quantity of dehydrating agent emtherein are exposed to the action of an oxide ployed depends on the character or kind of or hydrate of an alkali or alkaline earth or oil, its specific gravity, and the quantity of to a combination of both oxide and hydrate water in the oil. It will vary under these 90 by any well-known mechanical means that conditions; but an ample supply must be will effect intimate association. The oil or used to effect dehydration regardless of quandistillate is heated to a temperature ranging tity. A hydrated oil always means sulphur from 30 centigrade to 95 centigrade for the if the oil originally contained sulphur, and naphthas and burning oil. The temperature to eliminate the sulphur perfect dehydration 95 varies according to the specific gravity of the must be effected.

oil or distillate. The heating may be carried Having described our invention, what we on simultaneously with the exposure of the claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters sulphur compounds in the oil to the action of Patent of the United States, is the alkali providing no acid is present in the The process of eliminating sulphur or or- I00 oil. If the oil or distillate has been treated ganic sulphur compounds from petroleum with acid, the acid should be neutralized beoil or distillate which consists: in subjecting the oil or distillate containing sulphur or organic sulphur compounds to the action of an oxide or hydrate of an alkali or alkaline earth or to a combination of both oxide and hydrate bybringing the same in contact each With the other and agitating them or one of them; in heating the oil or distillate and the contents thereof; in effecting the dehydration of the oil or distillate by introducing therein and agitating therewith one or more dehydrating agents as terra alba (oxide of alumina), calcium oxide or other dehydrat- 

